Apparently, all AM commercial broadcast radios sold in the U.S. between 1953 and 1963 were required to have the triangle "conelrad" symbols on the dial at 640 and 1240.
Hello. I believe it was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System at some point in 1963; part of the reason was the increasing prominence of ICBMs in the arsenals of both the USSR and the U.S.; it was also because Conelrad had some efficiency problems, including the fact that stations in more populated areas often clustered together. After just over 3 decades of use, the EBS was eventually itself replaced by the EAS in 1997. =)
This is true. In 1963, due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Action Notification System in 1963, which was rebranded as the Emergency Broadcast System in 1983. On January 1, 1997, The EAS was rolled out to all tv and radio stations.
The issue was that the attempt to prevent direction finding failed spectacularly in testing, and not just because radio transmitters were by necessity clustered around cities; it was also fairly useless because heavy bombers flew above the clouds and were able to pinpoint their location via celestial navigation. You can't turn off the sun and stars.
That enemy bomber pilot was freaky looking. I remember these psa's and I used to run to my mom because they scared me so much. I sometimes used to be afraid to go to sleep at night.
@@tristanlolcat6006 It's creepy how it's able to manage to turn the tuning knob with no fingers, just a pointy appendage. He may not be triangle man, but he's got a triangle hand.
@@waynealan3067 Don't count on it. For one thing, CONELRAD is totally ineffective against ballistic missiles. And besides, there's probably still too many radio stations broadcasting on 640 AM and 1240 AM in (and near) the biggest cities to effectively confuse radio direction finding in aircraft. Edit: And if that's not enough, we now have this miraculous technology called GPS.
Here is a question: if all the radio stations in a given area we're required to turn off their transmitters during an emergency, which stations would actually broadcast on 1240 and 640 and and who exactly would do the broadcast? Would the president of the United States have his own, exclusive, radio network during an attack?
The purpose of Conelrad was obsolete by the time Conelrad was implemented. The system was designed to prevent enemy airplanes from using radio stations to triangulate (as done during WWII), but navigation had advanced far enough by the end of the war for that method to no longer be used. Sadly, once our government gets started on something, it just won't quit. The FCC is still trying to kill off AM broadcast radio for that very reason.
Obsolete it might have been from a Operational Security perspective, it was nonetheless the fastest and relatively most secure way of getting official information to the public. The US government of the day was not so openly jaded in its outlook to think that it should outlive the populace it was meant to serve. Its aim was to protect as many Americans as possible, as it would be those people who might then be called on to rebuild. Such a lag in technology, between what the government develops, what scientists develop, and what ordinary citizens/consumers use, continues to this day. We are in an unusual situation now, with the rise of the Internet and now multiple streaming platforms and a multitude of communications media, in which governments must consider which medium is best suited for the task of bringing information to the masses in an emergency. Once again, it might well be radio that serves the purpose.
I find it odd about the whole two station thing going back and forth. Sounds pretty easy for a Soviet to figure out and tune into... I mean given his radio could tune to civilian stations that is.
The idea was to have several stations hopping and transmitting over those same frequencies one after another. So, since the stations are scattered, the bombers can not use a single signal as a homing device, despite of having the same frequency.
All radios sold in the USA during this period had to have those little Civil Defense symbols on their dials at 640 and 1240, even radios in cars.
+hebneh Just got the one out of the garage that was meant for my late father-in-law's 1962 Pontiac Tempest. It does have the CONELRAD triangles.
Small 1958 Zenith radio has it 🔺️
Apparently, all AM commercial broadcast radios sold in the U.S. between 1953 and 1963 were required to have the triangle "conelrad" symbols on the dial at 640 and 1240.
Hello. I believe it was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System at some point in 1963; part of the reason was the increasing prominence of ICBMs in the arsenals of both the USSR and the U.S.; it was also because Conelrad had some efficiency problems, including the fact that stations in more populated areas often clustered together.
After just over 3 decades of use, the EBS was eventually itself replaced by the EAS in 1997. =)
This is true. In 1963, due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Action Notification System in 1963, which was rebranded as the Emergency Broadcast System in 1983. On January 1, 1997, The EAS was rolled out to all tv and radio stations.
The issue was that the attempt to prevent direction finding failed spectacularly in testing, and not just because radio transmitters were by necessity clustered around cities; it was also fairly useless because heavy bombers flew above the clouds and were able to pinpoint their location via celestial navigation. You can't turn off the sun and stars.
That enemy bomber pilot was freaky looking. I remember these psa's and I used to run to my mom because they scared me so much. I sometimes used to be afraid to go to sleep at night.
There were a few that made me feel the same as well.
Me too!
0:52 this guy is aslo pretty creepy
@@tristanlolcat6006 It's creepy how it's able to manage to turn the tuning knob with no fingers, just a pointy appendage. He may not be triangle man, but he's got a triangle hand.
Boy, oh boy!!! Even at my age (I'm 67) I remember this information EXACTLY!!!! Whatever happened to CONELRAD???
640, or 1240 kilocycles on your Radio.
CONELRAD has become the modern Emergency Alert System, or EAS.
Are you still alive sir?
@@waynealan3067 Don't count on it. For one thing, CONELRAD is totally ineffective against ballistic missiles. And besides, there's probably still too many radio stations broadcasting on 640 AM and 1240 AM in (and near) the biggest cities to effectively confuse radio direction finding in aircraft.
Edit: And if that's not enough, we now have this miraculous technology called GPS.
@@waynealan3067 Or Puppet Trump orders America bombed because muh fweind Putin
This is almost as scary as an EBS Test was back in the day!
I remember seeing this spot, i was with my family at the time. it was eerie seeing it live. So strange seeing it again aftyyer all of these years.
1240 was the frequency of our local AM station CJAV in Port Alberni BC Canada which operated from 1946 to 2005 they are now on 93.3 FM.
KNSS 1240 in Wichita, Kansas must have taken over that designated frequency.
Conelrad was replaced by Ebs in August 1963.
David Matthew Vinot, Jr R.I.E.A.S conelrad.
EBS was replace by EAS in 1997
A fellow Saints fan
'Lifesaving information'. That's funny.
Here is a question: if all the radio stations in a given area we're required to turn off their transmitters during an emergency, which stations would actually broadcast on 1240 and 640 and and who exactly would do the broadcast? Would the president of the United States have his own, exclusive, radio network during an attack?
The purpose of Conelrad was obsolete by the time Conelrad was implemented. The system was designed to prevent enemy airplanes from using radio stations to triangulate (as done during WWII), but navigation had advanced far enough by the end of the war for that method to no longer be used. Sadly, once our government gets started on something, it just won't quit. The FCC is still trying to kill off AM broadcast radio for that very reason.
Obsolete it might have been from a Operational Security perspective, it was nonetheless the fastest and relatively most secure way of getting official information to the public. The US government of the day was not so openly jaded in its outlook to think that it should outlive the populace it was meant to serve. Its aim was to protect as many Americans as possible, as it would be those people who might then be called on to rebuild.
Such a lag in technology, between what the government develops, what scientists develop, and what ordinary citizens/consumers use, continues to this day. We are in an unusual situation now, with the rise of the Internet and now multiple streaming platforms and a multitude of communications media, in which governments must consider which medium is best suited for the task of bringing information to the masses in an emergency. Once again, it might well be radio that serves the purpose.
0:10 CONELRAD helped protect America from stink-eye giving enemy pilots.
Idk why but that had me dying of laughter
That turned into planes
LOL that had me chuckle. Not to mention they looked very Russian
I find it odd about the whole two station thing going back and forth. Sounds pretty easy for a Soviet to figure out and tune into... I mean given his radio could tune to civilian stations that is.
...and does not have any other alerts other than attack alerts.
superseded by the EBS network old son! hope this helps!!
what's stopping the enemy from tuning into 640
Oddly this civil defense stuff li med us together...
AM radio would have been worthless during a nuclear detonation, it's not even usable during a thunderstorm.
My Friend's Grandma Was Born In 1959 And That's When CONELRAD Existed
"When radiation mutates you into a digitless blob, tune to ......"
:52- yep, use your flipper!
If the enemy bombers had a radio DF on board, wouldn't it make sense they could tune 640 & 1240 khz?
The idea was to have several stations hopping and transmitting over those same frequencies one after another. So, since the stations are scattered, the bombers can not use a single signal as a homing device, despite of having the same frequency.
His arms and hands are scary
0:48 Scared Me
0:48 UH! UH! UH! UH! UH!
KRAINA GRZYBÓW
In case of enemy attack, turn to CONELRAD frequency on 640 or 1240. Then place your head between your knees and kiss your ass good-bye"
Should the United States be attacked.....Warrrrrrrninnggg
That human is CREEPY
My Name Is Australia
G'day
@@stuierileyrory mate